Wagashi Forest Introduction
Tea master Shih Chao-hsing graduated from the Tea Industry Training Institute in his early years. In 1951, he was assigned by the Japanese to work at the Chih Mu Tea Factory, inheriting the tea-making techniques from senior Japanese tea masters. He served as the factory manager until his retirement, witnessing both the prosperity and decline of the Sun Moon Lake black tea industry due to his passion and commitment to black tea. Once, Sun Moon Lake black tea was immensely popular, flourishing from the early days of Japanese rule to the golden era of tea in the 1960s with tea plantations covering the hills. However, as the industry's circumstances changed and the market flooded with cheap foreign tea, the Sun Moon Lake black tea industry gradually declined. With over sixty years devoted to planting and producing tea, the veteran tea master remains attached to the land and hopeful for the industry's future, choosing to persist in tea cultivation even when others turned to betel nut farming for wealth, believing that black tea would shine once more. Shih Ju-hua and Chen Yen-chuan, who are inheritors of their father's artisan spirit and tea-making techniques, are committed not only to making excellent tea with care but also to ensuring that quality tea gets recognized, aiming to recreate a new visage for Sun Moon Lake black tea. In 2015, they established a tourism tea factory, providing a place to witness the historical and cultural development of the Sun Moon Lake black tea industry. This initiative not only educates more people about tea industry knowledge but also contributes to the local cultural heritage, further promoting the culture of Sun Moon Lake black tea and showcasing its tea art revival to the world.
